The present invention relates to a method for assembling a car, and more particularly to a method for fixing a nose unit having a shroud panel to the front portion of a car body on a car assembly line.
Conventionally, the car such as an automobile has been assembled by the flow line operation on the car assembly line. A bumper, a radiator, a cooler condenser and the like are sequentially attached to the front portion of the car body in individual attachment stations provided in the middle of the car assembly line. Accordingly, there is caused a problem that the number of working stations is increased on the car assembly line so that the car assembly line has its overall length increased and is complicated.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-103771 has disclosed a technique that parts such as a radiator, a head lamp, a bumper, a radiator grille and the like are attached to a radiator core support so as to be united, and the unit thus obtained is separately assembled and fixed to the front portion of the car body so that the overall length of the car assembly line is controlled.
The front portion of the car body is provided with wheel aprons for forming the side walls of an engine room. Front side frames and apron reinforcements are bonded to the underside and upside of the wheel aprons, respectively. A shroud panel is provided between the apron reinforcements. A cross member is provided between the front side frames. In the case where the parts to be fixed to the front portion of the car body are to be untied, the shroud panel functions as a unit component. In addition, the cross member also functions as the unit component, if necessary. The parts such as the radiator and the like are incorporated in the unit components so that a nose unit can be formed. Before the nose unit is fixed to the car body, therefore, it is necessary to attach by welding or the like any member (for example, a bracket) for mounting the shroud panel to the car body when fixing the nose unit thereto.
However, the above-mentioned members cannot independently and precisely be fixed in the predetermined positions of the car body because there are no means for defining, i.e., determining the positions in which the members are attached to the car body. If the nose unit is fixed to the car body, therefore, the adjustment of the parts on the nose unit and car body sides is damaged. Consequently, there is lowered the precision in attachment of the parts on the nose unit side to the car body. Thus, when the precision in attachment is lowered, the stiffness of the car body cannot be ensured. In addition, there is a possibility that a gap or the like is generated on the outer face of the car body.